Thanks for the Family
by BeastNamedKay
Summary: It is Thanksgiving time and everyone is over at Stephanie and Ranger's house. Stephanie and Ranger have some news for the rest of the family...


Happy holidays!

* * *

"Wyatt and Waverly! Get away from those cookies right now!" I called at the twins. I swear those two are almost worse than me about sweets!

"Babe," my husband says with a smirk. He has been my husband for nine years and yet he still can't talk in sentences a quarter of the time. I have to admit it has gotten better though.

"Can you stop ogling the turkey and help me set the table?" I say. I have almost converted him from the health nut he was before we got married to a normal diet.

"Sure. Do you know what time everyone is going to get here?" he asks. Every year, we all have dinner at our house. "We" includes my parents, his parents, Connie and Hal, and Tank and Lula. Along with our four kids, it makes for a house full.

"No idea. You know how Connie, Lula, Tank, and Hal run on RM-Time. Meaning that they will be here at a minimum of thirty minutes early. Your family will probably be here on time and my family will most likely be here thirty minutes late," I say. Since I'm a smart cookie, I told my family the wrong time to give them a chance at being on time. I told Carlos this much.

"That's my girl," he says, kissing me chastely on the lips while on the way to the dining room.

"Yep, kudos to you, Mom," my son, Nathanial, said while reaching for the cookie jar.

"Nat, are you kidding me?" I say. I know that he heard me bust Lele and Wyatt for the same thing not even five minutes ago. Nat only sighed and went back to the living room to play his video game.

"You can't deny those children, Babe," Carlos says.

If you had told me that I would be standing in this kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner, married to the love of my life with four kids ten years ago I would have tried to get you committed. But here I am as happy as I have ever been.

A little over ten years ago, I was in an on-and-off relationship with one Joseph Morelli. We couldn't commit to each other because we knew that we weren't right for each other but didn't want to admit it. After a long awaited conversation between the two of us, we decided that it would be best for us to go our separate ways.

A little while later, I was in a really bad car accident that I almost died from. That really opened the eyes of the other man in my life at that time, Carlos. As soon as I was out of the hospital, he made it his job to sweep my off of my feet. And that he did. Three months later, we were married and expecting our first child who we named Cassandra.

Cassie is now nine, Nat is eight, and the twins, Wyatt and Waverly, are five. We are expecting our fifth and sixth but no one else knows that. Cassie is pretty much a carbon copy of Carlos except for a litter skin tone. Nat has my hair texture, his dad's hair color, my eyes, and skin a little lighter than Cassie's. But the latter is most likely because all he does is go pew-pew-pew-pew with his thumbs all day. Wyatt and Lele look exactly alike and mostly like me with my hair, eyes, and skin color. The skin color surprised me since the other two came out darker but Carlos and I love them all the same.

"Everyone! Time to get dressed!" I yell out of the kitchen.

"Yes, ma'am," said my four angels. With a glance at each other, Carlos and I left to our room to get ready as well.

I put on my green sleeveless ruche dress, Christian Louboutins (might as well wear them while I can), diamond studs, Ralph Lauren hoops, and Blue Nile tennis bracelet. Carlos but on his green and white stripped Abercrombie and Fitch shirt, black jeans, dress shoes, and the bracelet all three boys have.

"Mommy, Mommy, look at my pretty dress!" Lele said coming through the door. "Come on, Wyatt! You gotta show Mommy too!"

Poor Wyatt. He just can't catch a break with Lele. She is in a constant state of dragging Wyatt along with her. They love each other though. They are like the stereotypical twins. The attached-at-the-hip kind though not the must-kill-thou-womb-neighbor kind.

Lele looks stunning in her spaghetti strapped green dress with flowers on the bottom, black ballet flats, green stud earrings, and a green bracelet. I already know that Wyatt and Nathanial will be wearing the same thing. When we go to the mall, Wyatt always wants the same clothes Nat gets and has no doubt peeped in Nat's room to see what he's wearing. As I suspected, Nat follows the twins in wearing black jeans, black Converse, and a green plaid shirt just like Wyatt.

"Looking good, kids," I say ruffling Nat and Wyatt's hair and kissing Lele on her head.

"Let's go sit in the living room and watch some TV before everyone gets here," Carlos suggests, picking up both of the twins and carrying them out the door. On the way down stairs we meet Cassie coming out of her room.

"You look beautiful, Cas," I say pulling her into a side hug. She is wearing a black turtle neck, green skirt, black ballet flats, a bow bracelet, and diamond studs.

Soon after sitting down, the first of our guests arrive. "Cal! How are you?" I say giving him a hug. Next to arrive were Zip and Zero. Manny and Binkie were next then came Junior. Then Tank, Lula, Connie and Hal finished out the RangeMan group.

As expected Maria and Ricardo were on time as were my parents because of the wrong time thing. Within a few minutes, all twenty of us were sitting at the extra long dining room table.

"Can I start, Mommy? Please, please, please?" Wyatt says bouncing in his seat. That shows you how much more kids ask their mothers. Wyatt is sitting right next to Carlos and yet he still asks me.

"Go ahead, honey," I say. Glancing at the table I realize that this is perfect. Carlos and I will be last.

"I am thankful for my mommy, and my daddy, and my sisters, and my brother. I am thankful for my grandpas, and my grandmas, and my uncles, and my aunts," Wyatt says.

"I am thankful for my family and my friends," Nathanial says.

"I am thankful for my wife, Lula, my friends and my family," Tank says. Tank and Lula got married a little while after us. Unfortunately due to Ramirez, Lula can't conceive but they are looking into adoption.

Everyone else gives their thanks, mostly to their friends and family. Finally it was back to Carlos and I. "Carlos and I have many things to be grateful for. Our family. Our friends. RangeMan. But tonight we want to share something with all of you."

"Stephanie is pregnant," Carlos says. "With twins."

First came silence. Then the chaos that is my family exploded.

Gotta love the holidays.


End file.
